C A
S
CONNECTIONS
COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
February 2002
Vol. 14, No. 3
Message from the Dean
Welcome to the spring semester--and to the new College of
Arts and Sciences home on the Quad!
In November, the CAS dean’s office staff and the faculty and
staff of seven departments and programs moved from Gray
and McCabe Halls to the newly renovated Battelle-Tompkins
building. You will find here the departments of Literature,
History, Philosophy and Religion, Sociology, and
Anthropology as well as the programs in American Studies,
Jewish Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies, and the Center
for Israeli Studies.
Continued on page 9
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
2
3
4
7
10
10-12
CAS Newsmakers
Mary Gray, chair of the Mathematics and Statistics
Department, accepts the Presidential Award for
Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering
Mentoring, from Rita Colwell, director, National
Science Foundation, and John Marburger, director,
Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive
Office of the President, on December 12. Page 3
Dean's Message
Student Spotlights/New This Issue
Featured Stories
Department News
CAS Career Corner
Development Desk
Education professor David Sadker runs a leg of the
Olympic Torch marathon in Arlington, VA, Friday,
December 21. Sadker was honored the next day in a
White House Rose Garden ceremony. Page 3
Events Listing
February '02 – CAS Connections – 1
New This Issue
In an effort to make this newsletter more reflective of our
growing CAS community, we have made some changes to
this issue of CAS Connections, including the following:
♦
Photos! For the first time, Connections features
photographs of some of CAS' events and awardwinning faculty. As long as we have relevant photos
and space, we will continue to incorporate these
graphical elements in a "CAS Newsmakers" box on
page one and/or interspersed throughout the issue.
♦
Featured This Issue. While the Department News
section still contains information supplied by the
departments on their latest activities and
accomplishments, we have added another section in
which to feature prominent achievements by faculty
and the College as a whole. Important CAS
developments are also reported here.
♦
New Areas of Coverage within CAS. "What's New
in CAS" does not appear in this issue. Since
everything in Connections is, essentially, what's new in
CAS, we felt it more useful to break the
information down into sections according to
division. Thus, you will see areas in this issue such
as "Development Desk," which contains an article
from the CAS Development Team, and "Graduate
Admissions" and "Marketing Minute," which
highlight the activities of our Graduate Admissions
Office and Marketing Team, respectively. These
areas will rotate as applicable throughout the year.
♦
Welcome from CAS
Graduate Admissions
The Graduate Admissions Office would like to
welcome our 126 new master's students and 11
doctoral students for the Spring 2002 semester.
These numbers reflect a banner season for the newly
established office and include our DC Teaching
Fellows and Teach for America scholars.
***
In addition, Graduate Admissions, in conjunction with
CAS Marketing, has launched a new feature on the
Web called "Graduate Forums - Ask the Experts," at
<www.american.edu/cas/admissions/gradforums>
where featured professors field questions related to
their areas of expertise. Featured professors thus far
have included Allan Lichtman and Caleen Jennings.
Did You Know?
The CAS Interactive classroom in McKinley
room 15 has opened this semester to rave
reviews by students and faculty alike. Currently,
eight classes are being held in the state-of-theart studio classroom.
CAS Career Corner. Similarly, the Career Center
has supplied us with the latest information and
events pertinent to the CAS Community, which we
feature as its own section this issue.
We hope you enjoy these new features!
Want to get Connected?
If you have ideas for a story in a
future issue of Connections
please contact:
Alison Torrillo (ext. 1781)
CAS Dean’s Office,
alison@american.edu.
Deadline for April 2002 issue is
March 15, 2002
February '02 – CAS Connections – 2
Student Spotlights
Andrea James, a junior information systems
major, in the CAS honors program, appeared on
the popular game show, "Wheel of Fortune," on
November 29. Winning the game by a "mere
$120," she racked up close to $6,000 and a trip to
Antigua while solving the last puzzle. Andrea, who
said the experience was a "whirlwind of a time,"
hails from Willingboro, NJ and, in addition to her
academic course load, interns at the FDIC.
***
Adam Dilts, a 2001 CAS graduate, with a BA in
environmental policy, was selected as a crew
member aboard the Makulu II, the 43-foot Nautor
Swan school ship that set sail in November from
New York City to circumnavigate the globe. The
expedition is a collaborative effort of Reach The
World, a nonprofit educational media developer,
and a group of educational partners and classroom
teachers. Adam will serve as First Mate aboard the
ship as it sails 27,000 miles across three oceans and
six seas, stopping in 36 countries.
FEATURED THIS ISSUE…
CAS FACULTY WIN TOP HONORS, RECOGNITION
FOR THEIR WORK
In the Media
Bernice Johnson
Reagon of the History
Department was featured
as one of the "Best and
Brightest" in the cover
story of the December
issue of Washingtonian
Magazine. Professor
Reagon was lauded for
her role in the establishment of Sweet Honey in
the Rock, the famous
women's a cappella
ensemble, which she
founded 28 years ago, as
well as her roles as a
professor at AU and
curator emeritus at the
Smithsonian.
Teach Me
Different
Sally L. Smith, Education
professor and founderdirector of the Lab School
of Washington, is featured
in a new instructional
video for PBS, entitled
Teach Me Different, which
demonstrates simple,
effective techniques used
to guide learning disabled
students towards
academic excellence. The
video is part of a four-part
series produced by AU's
School of Communication
professor Randall Blair
under contract to PBS. It
will air on public television
this spring.
Mary Gray
Mentoring in Math
Mary Gray has received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and
Engineering Mentoring, administered by the National Science Foundation. Chief among Dr.
Gray's accomplishments leading to this award is her responsibility to graduate students,
including eight African-American and nearly twenty female mathematics/statistics PhDs. She
notes that supervising PhD students is an important part of the research efforts of faculty.
Continued on page 9
Naima Prevots
Dance and a Fulbright
Serving as chair of the AU Performing Arts Department and director of the dance program is
just the beginning for Naima Prevots, who has recently been awarded a prestigious Fulbright.
Her award falls into a new category established last spring called Senior Fulbright Specialists.
Once chosen for the list, which is established competitively by a panel of experts, awardees
remain on it for five years and can then be requested for special projects by any group in any
country.
Prevots was requested by a European Union project for dance in higher education - the first
of its kind bringing together faculty, students, and artists in Brussels in January - and is
participating in this program as her first Fulbright assignment.
Sadker Carries Olympic Torch
SOE professor David Sadker was selected from thousands of
entries as a 2002 Winter Olympic Torchbearer. Sadker was
nominated by one of his doctoral students, Karen Zittleman, for
whom he has served as both mentor and friend. Sadker's
teaching and support of Zittleman, who has congestive heart
failure, earned him the honor of carrying the torch down
Clarendon Boulevard in Arlington.
Continued on page 9
Professor Prevots has
also received a "Life Time
Achievement
Award"
from the Pola Nirenska
Committee for local,
national, and international
activities in dance. This
award, given once a year
to
Washington-based
artists, is named for an
important international
dance artist who lived in
D.C. Nirenska's husband,
Jan Karski, a political
scientist at Georgetown
and
an
individual
memorialized in the
Holocaust Museum for
his courageous wartime
actions, initiated the
award six years ago in her
honor.
Continued on page 9
February '02 – CAS Connections – 3
Department News
Anthropology
The 9th annual Lavender Languages and Linguistics
Conference (deferred because of 9/11) is a "go" for
February 15-17, 2002 (see event calendar). Cutting
edge discussions of gay language and political
economy, queer French, language and lavender
spirituality, urban lesbian/gay space, 'Butch" women,
19th (homo)sexual texts -- and much much more.
Full program and details available online at
<www.american.edu/lavenderlanguages> or contact
Bill Leap at 202-885 1831 or wlm@american.edu.
Lesley Gill received a $75,000, thirteen-month John
D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation grant to
research "Military Training, Violence, and Human
Rights: The School of the Americas."
Art
Norma Broude's new book, Gustave Caillebotte and
the Fashioning of Identity in Impressionist Paris,
published by Rutgers University Press, will be
released this month, February 2002, in time for the
College Art Association annual conference.
Cathy Schaeff has co-authored and published the
new study, "Population structure of gray whales that
summer in Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia based
on sighting and molecular data" in Conservation
Genetics, 2001.
Economics
Robert Blecker presented a paper on "Financial
Globalization, Exchange Rates, and International
Trade" at a conference on "Financialization of the
Global Economy," at the Political Economy Research
Institute (PERI), University of Massachusetts,
Amherst, December 7.
Robert Feinberg was elected Vice President and
President-Elect of the Industrial Organization Society,
effective at the society's Atlanta meeting this fall. With
Feinberg's appointment, the department now has two
presidents or presidents-elect of important
associations of economists, as well as two faculty
members who are in charge of organizing their
associations' meetings in Atlanta.
Education
In the meantime, Broude's earlier publications live on,
to widespread high acclaim. In the most recent issue
of Harvard Magazine, alumni were asked to select
which books they would include as "twenty-first
century Harvard Classics." Among the titles selected
was Norma Broude and Mary Garrard's Feminism
and Art History.
Helen Langa chaired a session on "Doing Feminist
Art/Feminist Art Matters: Engaging Multiple Publics in
Visual Culture" at the American Studies Association
National Conference, November 7-11, in DC.
Biology
Lynne Arneson attended the American Society for
Cell Biology annual meeting Dec. 8 - 12 in
Washington, DC, and presented a poster entitled,
Hydrogen Bond Integrity Between Major
Histocompatibility Complex Class II Molecules and
Bound Peptide Determines the Intracellular Fate of
MHC Class II Molecules. Arneson also published a
paper of the same title in the Dec. 15 issue of the
Journal of Immunology.
For the past year, a group of students at SOE
including Shannon Melideo, Jen Engle, Larissa
Rozek, Curt Canada, and Karen Zittleman, along
with professor Vivian Vasquez, has been working on
a proposal to form a National Council of Teachers of
English (NCTE) Student Affiliate at American
University for the purposes of providing a place for
students and interested faculty to talk about and
explore issues of social justice, equity and critical
literacy in educational settings. At the NCTE Annual
Convention this fall, the Executive Committee voted
to make the group an official affiliate.
SOE is pleased to announce the release of its Title II
report to the District of Columbia in compliance with
new federal regulations concerning the oversight of
quality programs for the preparation of teachers in
elementary and secondary schools. One measure of
quality is the percentage of students who pass
nationally administered standardized tests in basic
skills and content areas in which they will teach. AU
scored higher on this than any other college or
university in DC, with pass rates for its students of 94
percent on Praxis I and 100 percent on Praxis II. The
February '02 – CAS Connections – 4
Department News
pass rates for all institutions combined in the District
of Columbia were 86 percent for Praxis I and 92
percent on Praxis II.
Rockville, MD, and led a discussion of "Women and
American Judaism: Historical Perspectives" at
Brandeis University's Hadassah International
Research Institute on Jewish Women.
Health & Fitness
Anna Nelson testified in November before a
Congressional subcommittee of the House
Committee on Governmental Reform about President
Bush’s executive order on presidential records. She
was also quoted by the AP and Chronicle of Higher
Education and interviewed on The Diane Rehm
Show.
Two students have had their research selected to be
presented during the Art and Science Health
Promotion Conference in Lake Tahoe February 25
through March 1. Melissa Simon and Heather
Hoeke will co-present research from a study on the
Motivational Impact of Pedometer on Self-Report of
Physical Activity and Stage of Change. Copresentations will also be given by Laurie Tucker
and Chris Cruitti on the Validation of a Stages of
Change Algorithm for Calcium Consumption.
History
Deborah Cohen published an article entitled, “Dulce
et decorum est,” in the Guardian on November 9,
2001, on returning war veterans in 1914 and today.
Robert Crews gave a lecture entitled, “Policing Islam
in Modern Central Asia,” at the Institute for the Transregional Study of the Contemporary Middle East,
North Africa, and Central Asia, at Princeton
University in November. The same month, Crews
also presented his paper, “ Islamic Morality, Imperial
State: Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil in the
Muslim East,” at the American Association for the
Advancement of Slavic Studies National Meeting.
In December, Peter Kuznick was a featured panelist
for “America in Mourning," part of the National
Museum of American History's program and
exhibition on the American Presidency.
In addition to serving as the first faculty member
selected for the new CAS Graduate Admissions
Online Forum, “Ask the Experts” (see article), Allan
Lichtman was a featured commentator on "Face the
Nation," Sunday, December 30. Lichtman also
appeared on FOX 5 TV news November 7 to discuss
the elections in Virginia, New Jersey, and New York
City.
Pamela Nadell recently published “Ordaining
Women Rabbis,” in Religions of the United States in
Practice, vol. 2 (Princeton, 2001). In November 2001,
Nadell also gave an address, entitled “Jews at the
Turn of Another Century,” for the Association of
Directors of Central Agencies of Jewish Education, in
Karin Wulf has been invited to serve as Visiting
Book Review Editor for the William and Mary
Quarterly for AY 2002-2003. This honor comes as a
full time post and thus means that Prof. Wulf will be
on leave next year.
Finally, in November, history graduate student
Bernard Unti gave a lecture entitled, “The SPCA as
a Gilded Age American Public Health Agency,” for
the Seminar in the History of Medicine, at the
National Library of Medicine in November, while
alumnus Bruce Craig (PhD) published “Release the
Reagan Documents,” on the History News Network
online at <http://historynewsnetwork.org/articles
/article.html?id=384>.
Language & Foreign Studies
American University's TESOL Program is proud to
launch the AU TESOL Working Papers. This new online publication showcases research by members of
the TESOL program. The first issue features articles
by five current students (or recent graduates). Naomi
Baron anticipates new issues appearing once or
twice a year. Future issues will include papers not
only by students but by faculty and perhaps guest
workshop presenters as well. The first issue can be
found online at <http://www.american.edu/tesol>.
Prof. Baron was also a featured commentator last
fall on David Lawrence's On-Line Tonight on CNET
radio, where she discussed the implications of the
Internet for intellectual property.
In December, the French Ministry of National
Education bestowed the rank of Knight in the Order
of Academic Distinction upon Paul C⊥tϑ in
recognition of his contribution to the promotion of
French culture.
February '02 – CAS Connections – 5
Department News
Literature
Performing Arts
This fall, Richard McCann gave fiction and/or
nonfiction readings at the University of
Maryland and the Fine Arts Work Center in
Provincetown. In addition, his book of poems,
Ghost Letters, was translated into German and
adapted as a theatrical production, staged in Berlin,
Germany, from August 26-September 13, 2001. The
poems were also set to music by composer Daron
Hagen and sung by tenor Robert White at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in November.
Richard Sha been added to the editorial board of
Romanticism on the Net, one of eight scholary
journals in Romanticism, for which he recently edited
volume 23 (August 2001); his essay "Scientific Forms
of Sexual Knowledge in Romanticism" is included in
this volume.
At the recent conference of the American Literary
Translators Association in Raleigh, NC, Henry
Taylor gave the keynote address, "Make a Poem Out
of It."
On December 11, the College Writing Program
recognized the four winners of the second annual
Writer as Witness Writing Competition; these
students read excerpts of their essays and received
awards for excellent writing on a topic related to Bad
Land, the College Writing Program's 2001 community
text. The winners were Emily Rich, for "The Yellow
House" (first place); Panteha MirRejali, for "The
Revelation" (second place); Cathy Fluegeman, for
"Cathedral Shadows" (third place); Christopher Dum,
for "Friday Night at the Wescott" (fourth place).
Robert Goler recently moderated a session on
"Building Civic Spaces" at the annual meeting of the
American Studies Association. Goler has also been
invited to present a paper on "Wolf Trap in Housing:
An Inner City Experiment of Arts Philanthropy" at the
"Sustainable Development in Urban Settings"
Conference at the University of Arizona in February.
And as chair of the American Association for State
and Local History awards program for the District of
Columbia this past fall, Goler presented awards to
the Historical Society of Washington and the White
House Historical Association/Abbeville Press.
In November, Jerzy Sapieyevski completed
"webOrchestra," the first symphony for ensemble of
computers and musicians.
Philosophy & Religion
Lucinda Peach presented her paper, "Public Protest
and Corporate Social Responsibility for Human
Rights in the Wake of Globalization: The Case of
Burma," at the Eighth Annual International
Conference Promoting Business Ethics at DePaul
University in October.
Charles White (emeritus) has published, "The Status
of Medieval Hindi Studies in North America" in
American Understanding of India: a Symposium.
Psychology
James Gray co-authored "Judgment Accuracy in
Body Preferences among African Americans," in Sex
Roles, vol. 44, no. 3.
Mathematics & Statistics
John Nolan gave seminars in Fall 2001 at University
of Maryland Baltimore County, National Institute of
Standards and Technology, National Institutes of
Health, and George Mason University. He was also
an invited participant at a Workshop on Stable Laws,
Processes and Applications at the Mathematische
Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach, in Germany. Closer
to home, Nolan was voted AU's "Most Popular
Professor" by AU students this fall.
Sociology
The Sociology Department, along with AU's Office of
Multicultural Affairs, is sponsoring several book
forums for Project South, an institute for the
elimination of poverty and genocide. One of the three
forums will feature professor Samih K. Farsoun
discussing Palestine and the Palestinians, on March
26 at Howard University. Refer to the event listings
for dates, times, and additional details on the
upcoming forums.
February '02 – CAS Connections – 6
CAS Career Corner
CAREER CENTER EVENTS
CAREER SERVICES AND RESOURCES FOR FACULTY
Advisors in Career Services are eager and willing to attend a class and
present on career-related issues within your academic department. Some
topics we have presented on in the past are: resume writing, finding an
internship, job searching, and career planning. We have worked with
faculty in organizing career panels for students and had alumni come share
their career background and experiences. Please call us (numbers below) if
you'd like us to be guest speakers for your class or organize a career panel.
CAREER SERVICES AND RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS
Career and Internship Advising – Our professionally trained career
development staff are ready to work with you on a wide range of career
concerns such as: self-assessment, decision making, career exploration,
resume writing, interviewing, finding internships, job searching, and
personal issues that may impact career success. Our Career Center is
structurally organized so that you have both a Career Advisor and an
Internship Advisor who work specifically with CAS students. Your Career
Advisor can assist you with general career planning and job searching and
your Internship Advisor can assist you with finding credit-bearing
internships.
AU On-Line Community – This is a Web-accessible database that allows
current AU students to network with alumni in a variety of career fields.
You can contact alumni who have graduated with the same degree you are
pursuing to gain specific information about career fields of interest.
Alumni Networking Receptions – These events allow you to meet faceto-face with AU alumni, talk about your intended career path, gain advice
from those who are working in the field, make contacts with employers,
and learn about internship and job opportunities.
Recruiting/Employment Services/Job and Internship Fair – Oncampus interviews, resume referrals, and employer presentations are
available to students through InterviewTRAK (the Career Center’s on-line
recruiting information system). Full-time jobs and internships are listed for
AU students on MonsterTrak (the Career Center’s on-line internship and
job information system). We hold a Job and Internship Fair in the fall and
spring semesters each school year. This is a great opportunity to meet with
prospective employers and learn about internship and job opportunities.
Career Resource Library/Computer Lab – We have a resource library
that contains many books and periodicals on all career-related issues from
deciding on a career path to finding a job. We have computers available for
your use to assist you with searching for internships and/or jobs.
CAS Career Advisor: Sheri Smith 202-885-1822
CAS Dean's Seminars: Professional
Development Series for Master Level Students
(#s 1-3):
1) February 20th - What is Your Game Plan?
6-7:30pm, Atrium, Battelle-Tompkins
Are you feeling puzzled about your future career
plan and the job search process? Come hear first
-hand from CAS alumni about their real life
experiences and gain valuable insight into
successful career planning, networking, and job
searching.
2) March 6th - Got All Your Pieces?
Presenting Your Experience
6-7:30pm, Atrium, Battelle-Tompkins
CAS faculty and alumni will share their knowledge
on how to develop a professional portfolio at the
graduate level, what to include, and how to
successfully display your work. You will have an
opportunity to receive feedback on how to select
and showcase your academic and work
accomplishments in an interview. Please bring
your samples (if you have them). This program is
designed for ALL CAS graduate students!
3) March 27th - Do you Know All Your Lines?
Interviewing as a Skill
6-7:30pm, Atrium, Battelle-Tompkins
Is it a skill or is it just personality? Do you know
what makes you stand out from the crowd? Do
you know how to convince an employer you are
the right person for the job? Come hear from
Career Center staff, CAS alumni, and employers
about how to effectively display your skills and
personality in an interview.
February 6th - Foreign Service Written and
Oral Assessment Information Session
4-5:30pm, MGC, Room 5. Planning to take the
Foreign Service Exam? Representatives from the
State Department will share information on the
format of the oral assessment and the written
exam. You will learn helpful tips and strategies in
preparing for these exams.
CAS Internship Advisor: Marie Spaulding 202-885-1799
February '02 – CAS Connections – 7
CAS Career Corner
Feb. 13th - Etiquette Dining: Do You Know all the Rules? 6-8:00pm, MGC, Room 4
Have you ever had an interview over lunch or dinner? Do you know the difference between a salad fork, a dinner fork, and a
dessert fork? Then, don't miss out on this great opportunity. Attend this exceptional professional etiquette dinner to learn
the "ins and outs" of proper dining. We will also discuss professional business etiquette, e-mail etiquette, and cell phone
etiquette, as well as cultural differences and expectations. The cost is $10.00, which includes a four-course meal and an
opportunity to gain lifelong skills. You must RSVP by Feb. 6th. Stop by the Career Center to sign-up. Space is limited!
March 4-8th - Mock Interview Week. Got the interview jitters? Want to improve your interviewing skills? Here is your
chance! Call the Career Center at x1804 to schedule a mock interview.
March 5th - Revvvvvv Up Your Resume and Cover Letter, 6-7:30pm, MGC, Room 4. Whether it's your first or fifteenth
draft, this session will help you build a top-notch resume. Join us to revvvv up your resume when it counts the most!
March 6th - Name Your Personal Price Tag: The Art of Salary and Benefits Negotiation, 6-7:30pm, MCG, Room 4
Do you know what you are worth and how to ask for it? Explore techniques on how to handle the formidable salary offering
conversation with prospective employers.
Resume Critiques, Mary Graydon Lobby:
March 18th, 9am-11am
Marhc 19th, 5pm-7pm
March 20th, 9am-11am
March 21st - Job and Internship Fair, 1-5:00pm, Bender Arena. Be sure to wear your best suit and bring copies of your
resume!
April 9th - Spring Job Club Meeting for CAS Students, 6:30-8:00pm, MGC, Room 5, Are you still looking for a job?
Need some support? Join the club! Gain advice from your school-specific career advisor and share strategies with fellow
students on how to successfully land a job!
-Diversity Networking Reception, 6-7:30pm, MGC, Room 4-5, Here is your chance to meet AU alumni of diverse
backgrounds and network with employers who support diverse work environments. Professional dress is required.
Marketing Minute: New CAS Folders
CAS Marketing has created a "CAS folder" which brings in the design of the new Battelle-Tompkins building
and reflects our identity and mission as a college. The purpose of these folders is to increase CAS' visibility,
largely among prospective graduate students, corporate sponsors and donors. The folder is standard size and
has an interior slot to hold a business card. If you are a faculty or staff member planning an upcoming open
house or other recruiting event, or marketing initiative, and would like some folders to use, please submit your
written request via e-mail to alison@american.edu. In your e-mail, please include the following information:
Name of Department, Name of Program (if applicable), Name of Individual Requesting Folders, Number of
Folders Needed, Purpose, Date of Event (if applicable), Date Requested, and Contact Phone Number.
Someone will then be in touch with you to arrange pickup. Any questions, call Alison Torrillo at 202-885-1781.
February '02 – CAS Connections – 8
Mary Gray - continued from page 3
Dean's Message
Continued from page 1
The original Battelle section of the building was dedicated in
1926, with additions (including the Tompkins section) coming
in 1957, 1964, and 1975. The building served as the university
library until 1979 and then housed the Kogod School of
Business and the library for the Washington College of Law.
Renovation for CAS began in the summer of 2000. While the
building was almost entirely redone, the final result maintains
much of the character of the older space.
The heart of Battelle-Tompkins is the interior atrium, known
as the Commons, which soars up two stories to a large skylight.
The atrium retains the original external walls of the oldest part
of the building, complete with lovely architectural details. The
Commons will provide a gathering place for CAS and will also
become an important venue for college and university events.
On its three floors, Battelle-Tompkins has 110 offices plus
lounges, copy rooms, and seminar rooms. The Writing Center
and a computer lab are also available. Faculty members have
private offices.
If you haven’t visited us yet, please drop by. We love showing
off our new space and we look forward to welcoming everyone
to Battelle-Tompkins many times in the coming years.
-Kay Mussell
CAS Dean
Gray received the award, one of only ten
given to individuals in the field, at a
White House ceremony on December
12. Gray was accompanied by Dr. Linda
Hayned, a former student and doctoral
graduate, who now teaches in the
computer science department at
Elizabeth City State University.
Naima Prevots - continued from page 3
In addition to Prevots' individual
accomplishments, the AU Dance
Program was profiled in the January
2002 issue of Dance Teacher, a magazine
with a large national circulation. The
program was commended as being
flexible and its studio on the Tenley
Campus as "uniquely inspiring."
Sally Smith - continued from page 3
Teach Me Different is the end result of an
innovative idea submitted by Smith to
AU, which led to meetings with PBS,
which, in turn, bought into her
philosophy of "teaching teachers the
way (you) want them to teach students."
The program is broken up into four
sections (one per video tape):
1.
2.
3.
4.
What are learning disabilities and
how to teach students with them
Methods of visual concrete
teaching
Prizing diversity
Problem-solving and self-advocacy
Reports Smith, school systems and
individuals around the country are
already placing orders for the video set
and she has been asked to do numerous
speaking engagements as a result. Smith
also spoke of her delight in completing
this project with AU colleague Blair.
Photo by Jeff Watts
February '02 – CAS Connections – 9
From the Development Desk…
Off to a fresh start
By Christal Cherry, assistant director of development, CAS
The College of Arts and Sciences has joined the ranks of the other American
University schools by instituting a development team in house. Shernita Rochelle,
director of development and a newcomer to AU, joined CAS in December 2000.
The Assistant Director of Development, Christal M. Cherry, former academic
counselor in CAS, came aboard in November 2001. Together, they plan to build
on the strengths of CAS and encourage the support and participation of alumni,
friends, faculty, staff, and parents in the life of the college.
This opportunity, while exciting, will be a challenge as the college has never had an
alumni chapter or an internal office working specifically to engage alumni and
solicit support. Under the leadership of Dean Kay Mussell, this development
team is looking forward to an exciting year.
Shernita has been working arduously to establish, build, and maintain relationships
with potential and existing donors who have an interest in the college. Doing so
requires knowledge of existing programs and events. Shernita has hosted various
alumni events including a Dean’s Breakfast, granting alumni an opportunity to
meet Dean Mussell; “A Celebration of the Arts,” featuring a dance performance
by CAS students and illustrating a collaboration of the visual and performing arts;
and an Emeriti Tea, where the Dean honored retired faculty as important
members of the CAS family. In an effort to have a greater impact, Shernita has
participated in a number of other college and university events including
Homecoming.
Since alumni interest in the college must be stimulated and supported in order to
be productive and maintain momentum, Christal will be focusing on developing
an alumni relations program. A brainstorming meeting with development
personnel from the other schools at AU and their alumni, an open house in late
February, mailings to local alumni to build a chapter, alumni participation in
Campus Beautification day, events with the Career Center, and greeting new
alumni at Commencement are just a few items on her agenda.
This Development duo hopes to include faculty, staff, and current students in the
process. Many alumni still connect to AU through long-lasting, influential,
relationships with faculty and advisors. Networking receptions will allow alumni
to share their accomplishments since graduating from CAS, affording faculty and
advisors an opportunity to realize and see first-hand the difference they make.
Faculty can also share new research and happenings in their prospective fields and
departments. Current students will benefit from the wisdom and experience of
alumni during panels discussions and workshops offered by the Career Center and
various CAS departments.
The CAS Development Office is off to a fresh start and welcomes ideas and
suggestions. As ambassadors for the college, our unified efforts will serve as an
amazing example of what a community committed to action can accomplish!
CAS Director of Development Shernita Rochelle may be contacted at 202-885-2515 or at
srochel@american.edu. Assistant Director Christal Cherry may be contacted at 202-885-2435
or ccherry@american.edu.
February '02 – CAS Connections – 10
Events Listing
February 1 - Priority Deadline
for Financial Aid
Applications & Merit Awards
For more information:
http://www.american.edu/cas/a
dmissions/financialaid.htm
February 2 - International
Training & Education
Program (ITEP) Open House
10:00 am - 2:00 pm,
Butler Pavilion Board Room,
6th Floor
For more information:
www.american.edu/cas/sociology/it
ep or call 202-885-3723 or E-mail
itep@american.edu.
February 6 - Health Fitness
Open House
4:00-6:30 pm,
Jacobs Fitness Center, Bender
For more information contact
Devon Lott at 202-885-6279.
February 8-28
Conversations Through
Photography
Opening Reception Feb. 10,
3-5 pm; Curator's Lecture
Feb. 11, 8 pm
Exhibit: M-F 10 am-5 pm, Sat 1
-5 pm, Watkins Art Gallery
Curated by in-residence Israeli
curator Nella Cassouto. For more
information call 202-885-1670.
February 12 - Reception for
Mary Gray
4:00-5:00 pm, CAS Commons
Join CAS and the Office of the
Provost in congratulating
Mathematics and Statistics Dept.
Chair Mary Gray on her 2001
Presidential Award. For more
information, call 202-885-2446.
Events Listing
February 13 - Faculty Forum: “Remaking the Conquering Heroes: Postwar American Occupation of
Germany” presented by John Willoughby of the Department of Economics
12:15-1:30 pm, CAS Commons
A light lunch will be served. Please RSVP one week before the event to Ernestine Barnes at ebarnes@american.edu or
202-885-2446.
February 13 - Visiting Writers’ Series: Faculty Benefit Reading
8:00 pm, Butler Board Room
For more information, contact the Literature department at 202-885-2971 or lit@american.edu.
February 15-17 - AU Players Present Two Chekov Comedies
Kreeger Recital Hall, Times TBA
AU's student theatre group will present The Bear and The Dangers of Tobacco. For more information, call 202-885-ARTS.
February 16 - American Studies Thematic Walking Tour: The Art Treasures of Washington
1:15-4:30 pm, leave from Clark Hall
Please RSVP to 202-885-2453 by 5pm on Thursday, February 14.
February 16 - Global and Local Identities for a Changing World: The Role of Education
9:30 am - 4:30 pm, Ward Building
A conference of student research in the Washington Consortium for Comparative and International Education and Training
(involving the international education programs at AU, GWU, and UMD). For more information:
www.american.edu/cas/sociology/itep or call 202-885-3723 or e-mail itep@american.edu.
February 20 - Project South Washington Book Forum: The White Architects of Black Education:
Ideology and Power in America, 1865-1954
5:30-7:30 pm, SIS Lounge
Featuring Williams H. Watkins, associate professor in the College of Education, University of Illinois, who will use his book
to explore the people and ideas that helped shape educational and societal apartheid from the Civil War to the new
millennium. For more information call 202-332-5333, 301-320-4034, or 301-367-1079.
February 20-23, 27-March 2 - The Glass Menagerie
8:00 pm, Experimental Theatre
$12 general admission, $7 students and seniors. For reservations, call 202-885-2587. For more information, call 202-885ARTS or visit http://www.american.edu/perf_arts/.
February 26 - GLBTA Brown Bag Luncheon
12:30-1:30 pm, Mary Graydon Center 203
Round table discussion on campus policies and practices affecting transgender colleagues: visibility, acceptance, safety,
and equitable benefits. For more information, contact Bill Leap, Anthropology Dept, 202-885-1831, wlm@american.edu,
or the AU-GLBTA Resource Center, 202-885-3347, glbta@american.edu.
February 27 - Visiting Writers’ Series: Major Jackson
8:00 pm, SIS Lounge, School of International Service
For more information, contact the Literature department at 202-885-2971 or lit@american.edu.
February 27 - Alumni Open House
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm, Battelle-Tompkins Atrium
Hosted by Dean Mussell and the CAS Development Office. Refreshments served. 202-2435 or ccherry@american.edu.
February '02 – CAS Connections – 11
March 2 - American University Chorus with Landon Symphonette
5:00 pm, Performing Arts Center, Landon School, 6101 Wilson Lane, Bethesda, Maryland
Conducted by Richard Weilenmann and Daniel Abraham. $10 general admission, $8 seniors, $6 students. For
reservations, call 301-320-1090. For more information, call 202-885-ARTS or visit http://www.american.edu/perf_arts/.
March 2 - American Studies Thematic Walking Tour: The African American Presence in Washington
1:15-4:30 pm, leave from Clark Hall
Please RSVP to 202-885-2453 by 5pm on Thursday, February 28.
March 20-23 - Moving Patterns
8:00 pm March 20-22, 2:00 pm March 23, Experimental Theatre
Symphony of modern dance directed by Rob Esposito and choreographed by students and faculty. With special guest
artist Sarah Skaggs. $12 general admission, $7 students and seniors. For reservations, call 202-885-2587. For more
information, call 202-885-ARTS or visit http://www.american.edu/perf_arts/.
March 25 - GLBTA Slide Show and Discussion
12:30-1:30 pm, Mary Graydon Center 203
Art History professor Helen Langa will present "Wild Transformations: Lesbian Visual Art and Photography from the 1960s
to the New Millennium." For more information, contact Bill Leap, Anthropology Dept, 202-885-1831, wlm@american.edu,
or the AU-GLBTA Resource Center, 202-885-3347, glbta@american.edu.
March 26 - Project South Washington Book Forum: Palestine and the Palestinians
5:30-7:30 pm, Howard University, Blackburn Center, West Ballroom - 2nd floor
Featuring Samih K. Farsoun, AU sociology professor, discussing the social, economic, and political development of the
people of Palestine from antiquity to the present. For more information: 202-332-5333, 301-320-4034 or 301-367-1079.
Also…
Be sure to check out our special Career Center Calendar on pages 7-8.
…And Stay Tuned for the annual CAS Student Research Conference on April 13, 2002
Deadline for submissions: Friday, February 15, 2002, to the Dean's Office in Battelle 100. For more information, please
contact the Dean's Office at 202-885-2436 or e-mail mlantry@american.edu.
College of Arts & Sciences
4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016
<www.american.edu/cas>
eeo/aa
February '02 – CAS Connections – 12